Weather
Heat in Greece, relaxation in Spain
Only umbrellas and a hand fan help: A woman on the beach of Loutraki. photo
© Thanassis Stavrakis/AP/dpa
Some can take a breather – at 32 degrees in Madrid, 35 degrees in Rome. Not so in Greece, where the third heat wave of the year is approaching its peak.
Pleasant temperatures are now relative in Europe – around Rome, where it stayed below the 40 degree mark at 35 to 37 degrees. In Greece, temperatures should be around 40 degrees across the country at the weekend, according to the state weather service.
It is the country’s third heatwave this year. Temperatures in central Greece could even climb to 44 degrees on Sunday. The heat is particularly bad for people in Athens: the metropolis with its high-rise buildings and urban canyons stores the heat of the day so effectively that the residents can hardly cool down at night.
High to very high risk of fire
The Greek civil defense warned again of a high to very high risk of fire. The region around the capital Athens, the island of Euboea and the north-east of the Peloponnese peninsula are particularly affected, as the authorities’ map shows. The second highest level of fire danger was also declared for the holiday islands of Rhodes and Samos.
In Italy, on the other hand, the “Caronte” heat wave has subsided a little for the time being. According to the weather portal Il Meteo, around 34 degrees are expected for the weekend in Rome, Bologna and Florence. In the southern regions of the mainland as well as in Sardinia and Sicily it could get very hot again, around 40 degrees in some places. Next week, the Mediterranean country is again expecting extremely high temperatures – up to 40 degrees in the capital Rome and more than 40 degrees in the south, it was said.
In Spain, among other things, it was relatively bearable for the people today with 32 degrees in Madrid. The Sunday on which the Spanish parliamentary elections also take place is supposed to be hot. As the state meteorological service Aemet predicted, 40 degrees plus are expected in parts of southern Spain.